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 A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. Home About Us Archives Free email subscription  Listen to these messages  Text only for printing  See here for more info. <Previous Message · Archive edition Wednesday, May 21, 2014  "Heart Protectors" Listen to us read this message on your audio player."Above all else, protect your heart, for everything you do flows from it" (Proverbs 4:23).  Rick is a mechanical engineer I regularly visit in the course of our chaplain work. He is a specialist in live animal traps and likely many of our readers have benefited from a product he designed. Like most engineering and design work these days it all begins on a computer screen.Of the hundreds of people we see in the duties of our work Rick is the only one that wears a distinctive accessory, his ubiquitous pocket protector. He graciously offered me one but after wearing it a few times I decided I'm just not a pocket protector guy. Pocket protectors according to most sources were invented in the nineteen-forties. It is a sheath designed to hold writing instruments and other small implements, such as slide rules, while preventing them from damaging the wearer's shirt pocket (e.g., by tearing or staining by a leaky pen). The pocket protector is designed to fit neatly inside the breast pocket of a shirt. A flap overlapping the pocket exterior helps to secure the pocket protector in place. *  Today's verse speaks of protecting something vitally more important than our shirt pocket; protecting our heart. "Above all else, protect your heart, for everything you do flows from it" (Proverbs 4:23). We have a personal responsibility to protect our heart. We certainly seek to do so physically, being aware of how vital our heart is to life.But when Solomon wrote these words he was primarily referring to the spiritual heart, our inner person. The CEV states, "Carefully guard your thoughts because they are the source of true life." The Amplified Version renders the passage, "Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life." This must be our primary focus in life and of utmost importance as Solomon emphasized, "Above all else". Protecting our hearts is of utmost importance because "everything you do flows from it". This is true both physically and spiritually. Jesus shared a similar teaching when He stated, "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander" (Matthew 15:19). The apostle Paul, using a lesson from history, "Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did" (1 Corinthians 10:6). The apostle Peter states, "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord" (1 Peter 3:15). Blogger Michael Hyatt lists three reasons we must protect our hearts:
We are reminded of the great deception and powerful delusion that is sweeping our world. I am even more convinced of the absolute importance of protecting my heart from deception and I believe that's true for all of us! Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber  Daily prayer: Father, You made my heart to be the life-giving source for my physical existence and You also made my heart to be the life-giving source for my spiritual existence. Create in me a pure and contrite heart, O God, and establish a steadfast spirit within me. It is only in the power of Your Holy Spirit that I can faithfully guard my heart from the follies of this world. Fill me with the abundance of Your goodness so that it overflows into the lives of others as my conversation and conduct reflect Your residency within my heart. Help me, I pray, in the name of Jesus. Amen.This morning I (Stephen) will be traveling to Washington, DC to attend the Watchmen on the Wall pastor's meeting with my pastor John Keefer and my brother Pat Weber, who is a pastor in the Lehigh Valley in eastern PA. Alan Walter, a pastor from Lebanon, PA will also be joining us this year. We welcome any who would care to pray for us and the many other pastors from all over America who will be in attendance. We will share more about this in tomorrow's message. Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources "Guard Your Heart" Video Steve Green "Slow Fade" Video Casting Crowns "Three Reasons Why You Must Guard Your Heart" Michael Hyatt "What does it mean to guard your heart?" (From gotquestions.org) * Wikepedia article about the pocket protector Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne  Stephen and Brooksyne Weber (Click on photo to enlarge)About Us "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update (Revised 10/21/13) Are our daily encouragement messages a blessing to you? Each weekday morning Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all over the world. We ask you to consider an offering to Daily Encouragement Net so that we can continue to prepare and provide this daily resource which is accessed by believers and seekers all over the world. Daily Encouragement Net relies solely on the generosity and financial support of its readers and podcast listeners. See here for more information on supporting this ministry. Gifts are tax deductible. Click here to donate online.2014 YTD offerings to Daily Encouragement Net: $4,732.00 SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION  If this email was forwarded to you, you can subscribe here.These messages are never sent by us unsolicited. It was sent to you because you either signed up to receive it OR it was forwarded to you. 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"Hymns of Hope" - Brooksyne along with two friends made a CD using classic hymns. Brooksyne tells the background story of the 11 hymns. All of these songs are also available for download on the site. Personal Mission Statement "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."  How to become a child of God Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version. Other versions are also occasionally used. © Copyright 2014 Stephen C. 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